Fatal Crash Details
A small plane carrying five people crashed near Wimberley, Texas, on Thursday night, killing everyone on board. The Cessna 421C crashed around 11:25 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Wimberley is located approximately 40 miles southwest of Austin. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra stated on social media that the plane was traveling at a high rate of speed.
Pickleball Players Identified
The plane was carrying members of the Amarillo Pickleball Club to a tournament in New Braunfels. Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, said he had played many games with four of the five people who died and had handed them medals. Dyer stated that they were excellent players who were out to win some games. The names of the victims have not been released.
Second Plane's Distress
Another plane carrying pickleball players from Amarillo landed safely in New Braunfels. Air traffic control audio revealed that the troubled plane began to move erratically and disappeared from the scope. A pilot in the area confirmed the plane's locator emergency device emitted a distress signal. The controller called 911 after the plane disappeared from the scope.
Investigation Underway
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The plane departed from Amarillo approximately two hours before the crash and was headed to New Braunfels National Airport, according to flight history. The National Weather Service reported mostly cloudy conditions in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash, with a thunderstorm occurring two hours later.
